The invention relates to photographic film and film handling equipment and more particularly relates to clamping rollers, film winding apparatus, assemblies, and methods.
A variety of spools and quills (here referred to collectively as xe2x80x9crollersxe2x80x9d) have been used to wind photographic filmstrips. A continuing problem has been attaching the filmstrip to the roller and later detaching the filmstrip. Tape has commonly been used to attach the filmstrip, but this adds additional steps and materials and presents a risk of contamination of processing materials by the adhesive unless the tape bearing segment of the film is segregated.
Another approach is to attach a narrowed end or leader attached to the filmstrip to the roller, by insertion in a slot or other structure and then winding. The filmstrip is held in place by frictional contact with the margins of the slot and other surfaces of the roller until a turn of the filmstrip overlaps. The increased friction tightens the filmstrip, cinching the filmstrip against the roller. Other approaches use an external guide in place of the slot to hold the filmstrip in place until cinching occurs. These procedures have the general shortcoming that cinching effectiveness decreases with increased winding speed. It is thus preferable, in these procedures, to always wind slowly or to cinch slowly and then increase winding speed after cinching is achieved. Winding speed can be increased by the use of structures on the roller that help grip the end of the filmstrip. U.S. Pat. No. 4,972,649 discloses a quill having a forked end and a spring positioned between the tines of the fork to help hold the end of the filmstrip.
Another approach similar to the above-described cinching procedures is to wedge the end of the filmstrip or leader into a narrow passage and then wind the filmstrip over the roller. This wedging procedure has the shortcoming that the better the filmstrip is wedged for initial film winding, the more difficult it is to remove the filmstrip later.
Another approach is to initially hold the filmstrip in place by pulling a vacuum through the roller. The vacuum can be released after one or more turns of filmstrip have been wound and the filmstrip is cinched. This approach requires that the filmstrip has good initial contact with the roller in order to establish the vacuum. U.S. Pat. No. 5,745,797 discloses a method and apparatus for winding film in the film roll chamber of a one-time use camera using a vacuum mandrel.
One-time use cameras are commonly sold preloaded with a cartridge of film. In order to reduce complexity and costs, a rewind mechanism is omitted from the camera. Instead, the film is prewound and during use is advanced back into the film canister. A number of approaches have been followed in loading and prewinding film cartridges for single use cameras. In some approaches, such as one taught in U.S. Pat. No. 4,972,649; film is prewound into a roll outside the camera body and then loaded. A shortcoming of these approaches is that the film roll must be handled after it is formed. This presents a risk of film damage and may add complexity to necessary equipment. In some other approaches, also taught in U.S. Pat. No. 4,972,649; the cartridge is loaded, the camera is light-tightly closed, and the film is then prewound using an exposed spool end. In still other approaches, such as taught by U.S. Pat. No. 5,311,231 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,745,797; the cartridge is loaded and then the rear opening of the camera body is closed and the film is prewound through a bottom opening, which is later sealed. In an approach taught by Japanese Kokai 6-295022, European Patent Application No. 0743546-A, and Japanese Kokai 8-171180, the film is wound onto a second spool, rather than being wound into a film roll. The back of the camera is not mandatory for guiding the film, since the second spool tends to restrain the film.
It would thus be desirable to provide improved quills, winders, apparatus, and methods in which film or other media is gripped easily for winding and released easily once coiled, but without requiring the use of a vacuum. It would also be desirable to provide for axial quill removal.
The invention is defined by the claims. The invention, in its broader aspects, provides a pinch quill that has a shank and a core and sheath apparatus. The core is rotatable about a longitudinal axis. The core has a recess sector and an adjoining recess sector. The chock sector has a greater radial dimension than the recess sector. The sheath is mounted coaxially over the core. The sheath is rotatable with the core about the axis. The sheath has an outer face, an inner face, and a longitudinal slot extending between the faces. The slot narrows to a throat at the inner face. The inner face includes a grip surface spaced apart from the throat. The grip surface is longitudinally aligned with the sectors. The sheath is pivotable about the axis between first and second angular orientations relative to the core. The slot is radially aligned with the chock sector at the first angular orientation. The grip surface is radially aligned with the chock sector at an intermediate angular orientation relative to the core. The intermediate angular orientation is between the first and second angular orientations. The core and sheath grip a filmstrip or other media strip in a quill-strip unit and method. A winder includes the pinch quill and a drive.
It is an advantageous effect of the invention that quills, winders, apparatus, and methods are provided in which film or other media is gripped easily for winding and released easily once coiled, without the use of a vacuum. It is also an advantageous effect that the quill can be removed axially.